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Metal in oil

How much, what type, how big, history of the engine all play a part.

Details?
 
little pieces of steel that stick to a magnet? ehhhh not usually a biggie. Lots of flecks of shiny bronze colored shit.... You got serious problems that ain't going away/
 
Bronze can be worse...

In any case, on a bike that old I'd just ride it and see what happens.

Give it another couple of changes, and see how it goes. Worst case, start shopping for a good condition used engine.
 
There aren't many bronze parts inside of your engine. If you're seeing bronze flakes, look into what bushings are in fact bronze and start to target those. There may only be one or two bronze parts in the engine so it may be very easy to locate and correct the problem. Sometimes there may be a bronze bushing in the clutch. Valve guides are sometimes bronze. A water pump shaft or oil pump gear may be bronze. The worst possibility would be a bronze sleeve between a transmission gear and the transmission shaft but those never fail (knock on wood).
 
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usually those bronzy colored bits come from the oil film bearings. not a good sign
 
The shiny bronze looking stuff is usually oil film areas, as VTRZA said, rod bearings and main crank bearings. By the time you see it........ Change the oil and look again. And start shopping for a used motor, it costs much more to rebuild one than install a used one.
 
If this were my machine.. I'd stop using it immediately.. rod/main bearings or big end thrust washers.. do these motors use pressed cranks? How about balancer's don't those motor's use a balancer with a plain bearing? or is that just the GS500?

parts are plentiful for those though..
 
Ironbutt said:
If this were my machine.. I'd stop using it immediately.. rod/main bearings or big end thrust washers.. do these motors use pressed cranks? How about balancer's don't those motor's use a balancer with a plain bearing? or is that just the GS500?

parts are plentiful for those though..
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Once those rod bearings or mains or big end washers start to go, it is simply cheaper to buy a used engine on ebay for $500 or so and throw it in, than pay to have a motor torn down completely, new bearings, bushes, gaskets etc etc etc installed and then put the motor back in the bike. I have done it enough times that I know. You can EASILY spend $2k minimum to drop and rebuild a motor, and half that to drop in a used one.
 
Thing is, when those bearings go, they make quite a racket.

That's why I said use it and keep your eyes open...you aren't going to save this engine, without it costing more than it's worth, might as well get some miles out of it.
 
Why don't you send a sample to Blackstone Labs. For $22 bucks, they'll give you the PPM concentrations of every contaminant and likely tell you where it's all coming from. At least you'll know what to expect.
 
Oil Analysis is great stuff, but it's NOT the answer when he's got big, huge visible flakes of a metal.

:laughing

It'd be more useful, for tracking that sort of info before the bearings start to eat themselves.
 
Marlowe said:
Oil Analysis is great stuff, but it's NOT the answer when he's got big, huge visible flakes of a metal.

:laughing

It'd be more useful, for tracking that sort of info before the bearings start to eat themselves.
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Doing ANYTHING at this point is too late.

At least with analysis, they can likely tell him what is failing before he has to crack the case. To some, that might be valuable information. To others, just a waste because it's toast anyway.
 
We already know it's bronze, sure, details on the other wear metals might be a hint, but ultimately, to confirm, you'd still have to tear it down....

And at that point, you're losing money, because a tear down and rebuild is going to cost more than a salvage engine.

It's not a question of not knowing what to do with that information -- it's a question of knowing when to cut your losses.
 
Marlowe said:
We already know it's bronze, sure, details on the other wear metals might be a hint, but ultimately, to confirm, you'd still have to tear it down....

And at that point, you're losing money, because a tear down and rebuild is going to cost more than a salvage engine.

It's not a question of not knowing what to do with that information -- it's a question of knowing when to cut your losses.
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Yeah. Thank you.

Not worth a rebuild even if these weren't available:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2001...otorcyclesQ5fPartsQ5fAccessories#ht_500wt_956


But I think I'll sell it and get a DR350 or a real sprotbile. Or something. Think I could get $800 for it? It's salvage title, but it does still run and probably wont blow up until someone yut-ughs it. Repeatedly.

121_0864.jpg
 
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I would guess something closer to 2-300 if the motor is going and you're an honest seller. Best thing to do is get the oil analysis like the other poster mentioned and go from there. You may not know what you're looking at. Or have a shop check the oil next change if it makes it that far.
 
The vultures are startng to circle..

Hey.. how much do you want for that basket case motorcycle? :laughing My flat tracker need a front end..
 
I always did like the Bandits...$800 may be pushing it with an engine that is clinging to this world.

But I don't think it's $200-$300 bad...you could probably get twice that (4-600.)

And I'll leave you to your local vultures that need more basketcases... :teeth
 
morningsoup said:
i bought it. just needed a carb cleaning, runs fine now
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A carb cleaning does not make whatever is producing bronze shavings go away, so please keep an eye on it, and if it sounds like a bearing is going, be careful, okay?

Thanks.
 
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